January 19, 1884: Mike Cuddihie and wife

Today we learn about a Colorado lynching through the pages of the Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan) dated January 20, 1884:

THE WESTERN WAY.

Justice Meted Out to the Inhuman Murderers of Little Rose Matthews.

MIKE CUDDIHIE AND WIFE TAKEN FROM JAIL AT OURAY, COL., BY VIGILANTES.

Carried Outside the Town Limits and Strung Up.

LYNCHING OF A MAN AND WOMAN.

DENVER, COL., January 19.—Some three months ago Mary Rose Matthews, a bright, winsom little girl of 10, was adopted from the Denver Catholic Orphans Home by Mike Cuddihie and wife, living on a ranch, ten miles from Ouray, a small mining town in the southern part of the State. Last Saturday morning little Rose suddenly died and was buried by the Cuddihies in a distant part of the ranch. The little girl was cruelly treated from the first, the neighbors said, and her

MYSTERIOUS DEATH AND HURRIED BURIAL

Aroused their suspicions, and the coroner of Ouray was notified. He immediately repaired to the ranch, found the grave, exhumed the body, when unmistakable evidence of a cruel death were revealed. The body was covered with knife wounds, one leg broken, her skull crushed and limbs frozen. She had no doubt been

DRIVEN OUT IN THE WINTER STORM TO DIE.

Cuddihie and wife were immediately arrested and jailed. Yesterday they were tried and found guilty of murder. About 1 o'clock a. m. a band of masked men went out to the hotel where Cuddihie and wife were temporarily held in custody, overpowered the Sheriff's guard and took the prisoners away. They both

CRIED LOUDLY FOR MERCY,

But as they had ever been deaf to pleadings of little Rose for mercy, so the vigilantes closed their ears to the cries of the prisoners. They were taken outside the town limits, where the woman was hung to the ridge pole of a vacant cabin, while the husband was strung to the limb of a tree on the opposite side of the road. Their work done, the vigilantes returned quickly. The bodies were cut down and buried by the coroner to-day.

John Carroll, Cuddihie's brother-in-law, was arrested with the others, but for want of sufficient evidence was allowed to go. this is the first instance of a woman being lynched in Colorado.

Thank you for joining me and as always, I hope I leave you with something to ponder.